Keep Raju the crying elephant free!

We rescued Raju after he spent approximately 50 years chained up, beaten, and help captive by beggars in India. His rescue story went viral online because this abused elephant was crying tears of joy when he was finally set free in a loving environment at our elephant sanctuary.

At the time of his rescue he was near death. He was emaciated, dehydrated and exhausted. Despite his frailness, he was forced to beg on the streets and was being kept in spiked chains.

Now the cruel person who had illegal custody of him is trying to get him back through the Allahabad court. You helped free him once by supporting Wildlife SOS campaigns and our sanctuaries.

We need your voice once again to keep his freedom.

There have been delays in the court system, and although Raju is currently safe with our staff at the Elephant Conservation and Care Center in Mathura, a decision may come down from the court as early as November 3 (this is the rescheduled date following court delays again on September 22, October 13, and October 27).

Please sign to tell the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department and State governments to keep Raju free!

We salute and thank the Uttar Pradesh Government for ensuring protection to Elephant Raju by facilitating his rescue from Allahabad on 3 July 2014 from the cruel person who held him in illegal custody and subjected him to abuse, abject cruelty and kept him chained for 50 years, and for sending him to the Wildlife SOS Elephant Conservation and Care Center in Mathura, run in collaboration with the U.P. Forest Department for treatment, lifetime care and rehabilitation to help him recover from his trauma.

We have now learnt that the same cruel person who abused Raju elephant and held him in illegal custody has approached the Allahabad court seeking custody of this elephant.

We humbly appeal to you to not allow this to happen. Please protect the elephant and kindly ensure that the person who kept this elephant in violation of Indian law without any valid permission or ownership documents is punished under relevant sections of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972.

We respectfully request the Uttar Pradesh Government take necessary action to 1) Punish the offender so justice prevails2) Ensure that the offender does not get custody of Raju elephant. 3) Kindly ensure that Raju be allowed to live out his life with dignity at the Elephant Conservation and Care Center in Mathura.